Diamond needle lock and the like

ABSTRACT

The invention applies to locking means designed to prevent the theft of diamond needles from phonograph tone arms. In the sale of phonograph and stereo equipment a diamond needle is used on the tone arm in coaction with a record. The diamond needles are quite valuable and where the equipment is on display to purchasers the needles are frequently stolen. The invention keeps the needle locked against theft and allows the salesman to quickly and easily remove the locking means and demonstrate the operation of the phonograph. The construction of the locking means is designed for universal application to phonographic equipment and is economical to produce. The invention is also applicable to protecting other elements against theft or misuse.

United States Patent 1191 Leyden [451 Sept. 2, 1975 DIAMOND NEEDLE LOCK AND THE LIKE [76] Inventor: Roger J. Leyden, 6250 N. Talman Ave., Chicago, 111. 60659 [22] Filed: Jan. 2, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 429,863

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Italy 70/14 Primary Examiner-Robert L. Wolfe [5 7] ABSTRACT The invention applies to locking means designed to prevent the theft of diamond needles from phonograph tone arms. In the sale of phonograph and stereo equipment a diamond needle is used on the tone arm in coaction with a record. The diamond needles are quite valuable and where the equipment is on display to purchasers the needles are frequently stolen. The invention keeps the needle locked against theft and allows the salesman to quickly and easily remove the locking means and demonstrate the operation of the phonograph. The construction of the locking means is designed for universal application to phonographic equipment and is economical to produce. The invention is also applicable to protecting other elements against theft or misuse.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDSEP 2l975 3, 9UZ,34O

DIAMOND NEEDLE LUCK AND THE LIKE This invention relates to the phonograph art, in general, and has more particular reference to preventing the theft of the diamond needle on the tone arm of a phonograph or stereo equipment, when the equipment is on display for selling.

The primary object of the invent is to prevent theft of the diamond needle by a prospective purchaser or unauthorized person. Such acts of theft occur because these diamond needles are of considerable value and where there is no protection against theft there is possi bility of the theft of the needle by removal thereof from the tone arm.

My invention prevents such theft because it provides a simple and inexpensive locking means which the selling agent must remove before demonstrating the phonograph to a prospective purchaser.

The locking means is applicable generally to most phonograph equipment and is so designed that it may be quickly and easily applied to and removed from the phonograph.

In the drawings filed herewith I have shown a preferred construction of a locking means embodying my invention; and it should be understood that these drawings illustrate a single embodiment and that changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention disclosed herein and set forth in the claims appended hereto.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. I is a diagramatic view of a record player showing my invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 shows in perspective two parts of a casing which when in telescopic relation form the main casing of the locking device;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the section line 3-3 of FIG. I;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the section line 4-4 of FIG. 3, showing the locked position;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section on the section line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a detail section similar to FIG. 4 but showing the unlocked position of the lock; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the section line 77 of FIG. 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the phonograph designated generally by the reference numeral 8 in FIG. I, carries a player record 9 and a tone arm it), as is customary. A diamond needle 11 is detachably mounted on the tone arm for player coaction with the record. The tone arm is mounted at its end 12 on the phonograph. The tone arm, needle, and mounting may be of any suitable construction, but it is not unusable for the diamond needle to be of especially high value.

A casing comprising telescoping parts 13 and I4 is designed to enclose the needle end of the tone arm and to be locked against removal to protect theft of the needle. The casing parts are preferably cylindrical and of suitable plastic transparent material. The casing part 13, closed at its end 15, is open at its end 16 to telescopingly receive the casing part 14 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4-. The casing part 14 is open at its end 17 and closed at the opposite end 18 except for a restricted radially extending opening 119. The casing part 14 also has a wide side opening 20 which extends at one end 21 to the opposite end at 22 and from the end 23 to the opposite end 24- and around the casing part to a point 25, leaving a portion 26 as a continuation of the cylindrical casing. This construction provides a relatively wide peripheral opening between the longitudinal edge 27 which extends the full length of the casing part Ml, the shorter edge 27A, and the shorter longitudinal edge 28.

The lock, designated generally by 29, has a cylindrical barrel shaped to enter a cylindrical opening 30 in the casing part 13, said opening being bounded by an outstanding peripheral retaining flange 31. The inside casing part 14 has diametrically opposite short locating pins 32 and 33 projecting outwardly to engage the inner edges of the opening 30 in the outer casing when assembling the casing parts. The inside casing has a slightly raised peripheral portion 34 on its outer surface and openings 35 and 36 at opposite sides thereof. The abovementioned pins extend from the raised portion 34-. The opening 35 receives the circular projecting end 40 of the lock and when the lock is fully inserted into the opening 35 the key 37 may be turned to move the locking extension 38 to a locking position beneath beneath the part 39 of the lock barrel, as shown in FIG. 4. By turning the key in the opposite direction the part 38 will be moved into alignment with the part 4-0 and the lock barrel may be lifted, unlocking the casing parts, as shown in FIG. 6.

In practice with the lock removed, the casing may be applied to the tone arm by separating the casing parts and first applying to the tone arm the casing part 14. This is done by positioning the casing part 14 over the tone arm so that the narrow portion of the arm enters the narrow opening 19 and the larger end of the tone arm enters the casing through the wide opening 20 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. These Figures also show the outer casing part 13 telescoped over the inner casing part. FIG. 4 shows the casing parts locked one to the other so that the diamond needle is not accessible ex cept by unlocking the outer casing part or both casing parts.

When the lock is applied as shown in FIG. 1 the weight of the lock serves as a counter balance and weight anchor to keep the entire assembly at one position.

My invention in principle may be applied to the locking of articles other than tone arms on phonographs, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

I. A locking device for phonographic diamond needles and the like comprising in combination with the tone arm and sound needle in a phonograph record player, a two-part telescopic casing, one of which parts is closed at one end and open at the opposite end, the other part being open at one end and closed at the opposite end except for a restricted opening shaped for the reception of the portion of the tone arm opposite from the needle-carrying end, the second mentioned casing part being positioned as stated on the tone arm, the first mentioned casing part being inserted from its open end over the open end of the second mentioned casing part, and means for locking the casing parts one to the other to prevent access to the needle from the exterior of the casing and having means for unlocking the casing parts to expose the diamond needle for its operation with the record.

2. A locking device as set forth in claim I, in which the second mentioned casing part has a substantially large opening in its side wall as an extension of the restricted opening and adjacent to the end of the second mentioned casing part opposite to the restricted end opening therein. 

1. A locking device for phonographic diamond needles and the like comprising in combination with the tone arm and sound needle in a phonograph record player, a two-part telescopic casing, one of which parts is closed at one end and open at the opposite end, the other part being open at one end and closed at the opposite end except for a restricted opening shaped for the reception of the portion of the tone arm opposite from the needle-carrying end, the second mentioned casing part being positioned as stated on the tone arm, the first mentioned casing part being inserted from its open end over the open end of the second mentioned casing part, and means for locking the casing parts one to the other to prevent access to the needle from the exterior of the casing and having means for unlocking the casing parts to expose the diamond needle for its operation with the record.
 2. A locking device as set forth in claim 1, in which the second mentioned casing part has a substantially large opening in its side wall as an extension of the restricted opening and adjacent to the end of the second mentioned casing part opposite to the restricted end opening therein. 